5 minute read
Entrepreneurship at Imperial
Level-up your ideas at Imperial
At Imperial we have a thriving eco-system of extracurricular events, programmes and workspaces to support you on your entrepreneurial journey. Whether you’re looking to expand your network and be inspired, validate your idea and win some funding, secure lab space for research and development or get the right mentors to help you on your journey, we have the right support to help you level-up your idea.
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Level 1
Level 2
2
TAKE THEFIRST STEP*
HOW WE CAN HELP • How To Talks • Idea Challenge • Global Challenge Lab • Chain Reactions Speaker Series• LevelUP • Venture Science Series • Deep Tech Network
Level 3
"I have a team and want to take part on a structured programme to accelerate our idea"
Level 4
4
3
HOW WE CAN HELP • Idea Surgeries • Discovery Fund • Hack Surgeries • Prototype Fund • Techcelerate HOW WE CAN HELP • WE Innovate • Venture Catalyst Challenge (VCC) • Summer Accelerator • MTSC • Techcelerate
LAUNCH
HOW WE CAN HELP • Experts-in-Residence • Imperial Venture Mentoring Service (IVMS) • MTSC • Imperial Innovation Fund
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Entrepreneurship support at Imperial
Delivered by Imperial’s Enterprise Division
Imperial Enterprise Lab
At Imperial Enterprise Lab we’re passionate about inspiring the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.
Based at South Kensington Campus, the Enterprise Lab helps students think outside the box, break boundaries and dare to be different. Whether you want to develop new skills, test an idea, start a business or just meet interesting new people we’re here to help you. From skills seminars to competitions and co-working space to expert mentors, we offer all the support you need, free of charge.
PROGRAMMES AND EVENTS:
How To Talks – Practical lunchtime talks, led by guest speakers, across a range of entrepreneurial topics relevant to any student or postdoc looking to learn new skills and make an impact.
Chain Reactions Speaker
Series – In partnership with the Imperial College Business School and CNBC, Chain Reactions brings in high profile speakers to talk about what it takes to be a catalyst for positive social change.
Venture Scientist Series
– A new seminar series, run in partnership with Imperial’s Postdoc and Fellows Development Centre (PFDC), for postdocs and PhD students who want to find out more about the commercialisation process and how to translate research into impact.
Idea Challenge – Termly half-day events where you can meet new people, brainstorm solutions to a grand challenge, develop your entrepreneurial skills and, most importantly of all, have fun!
Discovery Fund – A grant programme for earlystage ideas providing up to £500 for students and recent alumni to get out of the building, find customers, design business experiments and explore their ideas.
Global Challenge
Lab (GCL) – Imperial’s flagship international entrepreneurship programme, GCL enables students from across the world to form cross-cultural teams and create solutions to UN SDGs.
WE Innovate – Imperial’s flagship programme for women-led teams looking to develop their business idea. The programme takes place over 9-months with the winner decided at the WE Innovate Final.
Venture Catalyst
Challenge (VCC) – Imperial’s flagship student entrepreneurship competition takes place over 7-weeks consisting of masterclasses, one-to-one coaching, meetings with experts and resulting in the Grand Final with a prize fund of £90k.
Summer Accelerator – A 3-month programme for students and recent alumni to fast-track the commercial development of an idea with the chance to win £5,000.
Experts-in-Residence – One-to-one access to business coaches and specialists in everything from IP to Marketing and Team Building to Legal.
Imperial Venture Mentoring Service (IVMS)
– A team-based mentoring service bringing expert mentors to support Imperial students and staff looking to drive forward their startup.
Get in touch: www.imperialenterpriselab. com
Twitter: @ICEnterpriseLab Facebook:
@ImperialEnterpriseLab
Instagram:
@ImperialEnterpriseLab
Linkedin:
/imperialenterpriselab
Imperial College Advanced Hackspace
At the Advanced Hackspace in White City, you’ll find rapid prototyping, modelling and fabrication spaces, as well as the latest equipment to help you bring your idea to life. These include electrical and mechanical engineering workshops, digital modelling and fabrication spaces, and physical computing workspaces.
Our community brings together inventive minds from all backgrounds, disciplines and levels of expertise to collaborate, experiment and innovate. From support and training to the latest prototyping equipment, it’s all here under one inspiring roof.
PROGRAMMES AND EVENTS:
LevelUP – A roster of workshops providing students an opportunity to hone their hacker, maker or creator knowledge, learning valuable hands-on practical skills and tools to kick start a future project idea. Prototype Fund – Grant funding to turn inspiring, inventive and entrepreneurial ideas into a reality. Participants can apply for £500 to £1,000 to develop a working physical prototype. Hack Surgeries – One-to-one access to Hackspace expertise. Booking a surgery slot is a great way to get started or to have a detailed discussion about a specific prototyping or research challenge.
Get in touch: www.imperialhackspace.com
Twitter: @ICAHackspace Facebook: @ICAHackspace Instagram: @ICAHackspace Linkedin: /imperial-college-advanced-
hackspace
MedTech SuperConnector
The MedTech SuperConnector is designed to facilitate the early-stage development of innovative medical technologies, from devices, diagnostics, and digital healthcare solutions. MTSC will provide participants from Imperial and beyond, with the funding, training, mentorship and access to industry partners to help fast-track the translation of their research discoveries.
Get in touch:
www.medtechsuperconnector.com Linkedin: /medtech-superconnector
Techcelerate
Techcelerate supports postdocs and early career researchers (ECRs) to test out their business ideas in the marketplace and develop entrepreneurial skills. The three-month programme consists of masterclasses and venture review sessions, ultimately providing its participants with the opportunity to showcase their venture’s entrepreneurial journey to a community of investors and technology transfer industry.
Get in touch: www.imperial.ac.uk/enterprise/staff/techcelerate
Linkedin: /imperial-techcelerate
Imperial White City Incubator
The White City Incubator is based at Imperial’s new research and innovation campus in White City. Early-stage businesses from Imperial and beyond can take advantage of being in close proximity to eminent scientists and experts in technology.
The Incubator offers office and laboratory space, incubation and access to a range of events, networking and education programmes to support business growth.
PROGRAMMES AND EVENTS:
Deep Tech Network – Launched in May 2019, the Deep Tech Network is organised between Upstream and Imperial’s Department of Chemistry and Enterprise Division to encourage interaction and collaboration between business and Imperial’s researchers.
Get in touch: www.imperial.ac.uk/enterprise/business/ white-city-incubator
Twitter: @Imperial_INC Instagram: @Imperial_Incubator Linkedin: /imperial-white-city-incubator
Imperial Innovation Fund
The Imperial College Innovation Fund backs early-stage startups (both IP spin-outs and student startups) from Imperial. The College’s startup team is working with fund manager Parkwalk Advisors to build a cornerstone of Imperial’s investment ecosystem alongside our rapidly growing investor network.
